It's been a decade since the Volvo XC90 appeared on Quebec roads in its current form. Along the way, it has evolved with new technologies and a slight restyling that has kept it in step with the times. However, with Volvo's electrification targets revised downwards, the Volvo XC90 needed a new design to remain relevant in the range alongside the Volvo EX90. In this article, discover the new...
On September 21, 2022, the announcement was the first of many for Volvo and its CEO, Jim Rowan. In a series of videos, the Volvo Cars team announced that the next vehicles of the brand will enter a new era in terms of safety. The first to do so is the Volvo EX90, which will be officially unveiled by the brand in the coming weeks.
New safety systems inside and out
In the several videos unveiled, and to be discovered below, we learn more about the upcoming technologies that Volvo will place in its future vehicles.
Exterior safety: laser radar system
In the video presentation below, Joachim de Verdier, responsible for vehicle automation at Volvo Cars, introduces the new detection system that will soon be available in the upcoming vehicles, including the Volvo EX90.
This system, called LiDAR, uses remote sensing and telemetry, a method similar to radar. The difference is that it sends out pulses of infrared light rather than radio waves. The on-board computer will be able to detect objects and calculate precisely how far away they are from your Volvo.
The aim is to create an external "protective shield" for your Volvo. Thanks to 5 radars, 8 cameras and 16 ultrasonic sensors, your safety and that of your passengers will be well assured.
Interior Vehicle Safety Enhanced
The first words of the speech by Michael Ljung Aust, technical head of safety, emphasize what we might often forget: one of the first elements of safety is our person, our role as a driver.
"Typically, Volvo Cars have focused on what happens on the outside of the vehicle to protect the people inside. But the interior is just as important because the way you drive can affect the way you feel. But the way you feel can affect the way you drive. If you're not at your best, you may be a somewhat less safer driver."
To better understand what can distract a driver, Volvo has decided to implement a new detection system that will focus on the vehicle's occupants. With, of course, a special focus on the driver.
Every person has a specific gaze pattern. In perfect driving, about 80% of attention is on the road.
If this number goes over 90%, it is a sign of increased attention on a subject. It could be about an important personal or professional thought that is distracting the driver, or it could be a sign of too much alcohol consumption.
However, if this number drops below 60%, it is most likely because the driver is currently texting or being distracted by something else in the vehicle that is taking a lot of his or her attention away.
The purpose of all these measurements is to know when the driver needs the most help from the car's system to always ensure the highest level of safety and thus maintain that "safety shield" around your Volvo.
Volvo EX90 first model unveiled with all these technologies
As shown in the videos, the new Volvo EX90 will be the first model to come standard with all of these technological advances offered by Volvo.
In Volvo's recent history, the XC90 was the model that marked the beginning of a new era at the southern automaker (launch of the last generation of the XC90 in 2015). So it's only natural that it was chosen, 7 years later, to be the model that will also mark the beginning of a new chapter in safety at Volvo.
On top of all that, it will complete the brand's lineup of 100% electric vehicles already offered in Canada.
The worldwide unveiling of the Volvo EX90 will take place during the last quarter of 2022 by the Swedish manufacturer.
Find below the full announcement made by Volvo's new CEO in September 2022.
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